


The Fine Art of Giving and Receiving

by ealamusings



Category: Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: Canon Divergent, Christmas, F/M, The Gift of the Magi, Yuletide in Panem, everlark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-19
Updated: 2015-12-19
Packaged: 2018-05-07 16:22:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5463164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ealamusings/pseuds/ealamusings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An Everlark Christmas drabble, loosely based on ‘The Gift of the Magi’ by O. Henry. Submitted for Yuletide in Panem on tumblr.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Fine Art of Giving and Receiving

**Author's Note:**

> As always, a Huge Hug for my beautiful Beta, Everlarked, for helping me with this story. :-)
> 
> Thank you for reading and Merry Christmas!

Katniss tugged her father’s hunting jacket close around her body as she leaned into the bracing wind. It wasn’t quite as cold here in the square as it was out in the open, but it still lacked the shelter of the forest. The ground was slick with ice from a recent rain. Snow wasn’t far away. It could arrive any day now.

The bell tinkled as she entered the variety store. She was grateful for the heat from the wood stove at the back, but this store always made her shake her head. While it contained many small but helpful items, what annoyed her was the front window that featured extravagant and completely useless things. Jewelry and ribbons, fancy toys and trinkets filled the display and attracted the inordinate amount of attention of many people. Her sister’s being one of them. 

Katniss approached the counter at the back of the store and eyed the fancy hair combs with the silk ribbon flowers. She had seen Prim’s eyes grow wide at the sight of the pretty things when they detoured for a peek on the way home from school last week.

“Isn’t it amazing?” Prim had gushed pointing to the one in the window.

They were far too frivolous, and as she stood gazing at the array of colours, Katniss grappled with the combination of irritation at the pointless adornments and her irresistible need to buy one. There was just so little whimsy in all their lives, and to see Prim’s delight on Christmas morning… Well, she knew she needed to get one for her.

She happened to glance at the sign at the end of the counter. It had a photo of an outrageous purple wig, typical of what Effie Trinket would wear. ‘Cash for Hair’, the sign said. Apparently, it wasn’t enough that they were forced to sign up for tesserae, let alone face the reaping itself. They would even literally take the hair off their heads. Lost in thought, she ran her fingers down her long braid and scanned the display case.

“Good afternoon,” Mrs. Barton said, her face hard and her eyes narrow.

Katniss straightened her back in defiance. She rarely came in. The store only accepted cash, and most of the things they sold here could be had cheaper at the Hob. Maybe the stuff wasn’t quite as nice, but at least they accepted game on trade. People in the Seam stuck out like a sore thumb in this store. She took a deep breath to work up her courage and pointed at the fancy combs.

“How much for those?” she managed to spit out. Oh, how she hoped they weren’t too expensive. The beaver she had traded today had yielded a decent payment for the meat and pelt, but she always took a hit on the price when trading for cash. Still, it had almost doubled the money in her possession.

Mrs. Barton took on a patronizing tone, “They come all the way from the Capitol. That’s real silver. They are very expensive. We have other, less costly hair…”

Katniss cut her off. “How much?” she demanded.

With a huff the store keeper told her the price, and the corner of Katniss’s mouth tweaked up just a bit. She had enough. She’d even have a little left over to buy something practical. 

“Can I see that one in the front window?” It had Prim’s favourite pastel shades along with a pearlescent ribbon that was so perfectly Prim. When Mrs. Barton frowned, Katniss let out a huff of her own and counted out the money on the counter.

The store manager’s eye brow raised, but she quickly went to the front of the store, retrieved the comb and placed it on the counter for her inspection. It had fine filigree work, like lacy leaves growing out from the delicate ribbon flowers at the base.

It was such a beautiful thing, Katniss was reluctant to even touch it after a day out hunting in the forest. Mrs. Barton seemed relieved, too, that Katniss kept her hands away from her precious merchandise. Just then, her eye caught sight of another comb, this one had what looked like a tiger lily in gorgeous shades of orange. She pointed at it. “That one too.”

‘What am I doing?’ she asked herself. Katniss had no use for such things. Not to mention she didn’t have near enough money to buy two.

Just as the second one was brought out, the tinkle of the bells announced another arrival. The shop keeper left to greet the new customer. Katniss was grateful, if not a little surprised, that Mrs. Barton chose to leave the valuable combs on the counter instead of locking them back up before the purchase was complete.

“Peeta!” she exclaimed. “How nice to see you.”

At the sound of his name, Katniss felt a tightening in her chest. It had been several years since their first encounter. She shivered as she thought of that day. Katniss wasn’t exactly shy, but something about Peeta made her nervous. He always had that effect on her. Maybe it was because she had never found the right time or way to say ‘thank you.’ She pretended to not notice his presence.

“Could I see them again?” he asked when he drew up alongside her. She thought his eyes darted in her direction while Mrs. Barton went back around the counter and took a wooden box from the shelf. “I have enough to buy some of them today.”  
He actually sounded apologetic which made Katniss give an almost imperceptible snort. Why should anyone feel the need to apologize when they paid with good money? 

Katniss kept her gaze directed on the combs, and with the tip of her pinky finger, which was fairly clean, she moved them around as if she was studying them with close scrutiny. Her curiosity was piqued at what could be inside the box. Mrs. Barton opened it for Peeta on the counter beside her combs, and Katniss shifted her feet so that both the combs and the mysterious box were in her field of view.

Inside was an exquisite collection of paint brushes. Peeta picked up a large round-tipped one and ran his fingers over the bristles with reverence.

“That one is a sable,” Mrs. Barton said.  
“Yes, I know,” Peeta said quietly. With her focus on the combs, she couldn’t see his face, but she could tell by the sound of his voice that he was entranced by them.

Katniss was fascinated. The brushes were an assortment of shapes, sizes and even the bristles varied. She was very familiar with different animal hairs and tried to imagine what they were. The finer hairs reminded her of the mink and squirrel tails, the courser ones looked like they could have come from a badger, or maybe even shed from Prim’s goat Lady.

When Peeta asked for the price of the whole set, Katniss almost gasped at the amount. She couldn’t help feel a bit of resentment well up. What must it be like to afford such indulgences? And for paint brushes, no less. She looked down at the combs and felt embarrassed. At least brushes served some kind of purpose beyond just looking pretty.

Peeta placed the round brush down and stared at the collection. After a few seconds, he asked, “Can I have a moment to figure out which ones I need? I can’t afford all of them.”

“Of course,” the shop keeper chirped, “Maybe we can make a deal. You bring in some of your art work one day and I could sell them for a commission.”

Katniss thought she saw Peeta shrug. “I don’t know, not many people appreciate such things. Unless you can eat it.” 

He laughed a little when he said it and the sound of it made her grin in response.

Katniss thought about all those iced cakes and pastries that Prim loved to admire in the bakery window so much. Katniss had wondered which Mellark was responsible for them, and now she had the answer. She imagined any painting Peeta did would be beautiful.

“Not much I can do without paints anyway,” he joked.

“Well, they are here to buy, too, when you’ve saved up.” Mrs. Barton quoted him the price, and Katniss was certain that she and Peeta winced in unison. “How is your extra job working out?” the shop keeper asked.

That caught Katniss’s attention. She knew Peeta worked many hours at the bakery. He must be putting in long days to squeeze in extra work.

“I’ve got one more day to finish re-shingling the roof where it was leaking, but at least Mayor Undersee was kind enough to pay me in advance, so I could buy what I wanted before Christmas.”

Katniss felt a wave of irritation come over her. Madge had mentioned their leaky roof just this past week, but why hadn’t she mentioned Peeta was the one fixing it? Because Peeta and I aren’t friends, she reminded herself, so what reason would Madge have to inform her? Of course it made sense that they would hire Peeta. Most capable workers were busy in the mines, and she knew Peeta was strong enough to haul heavy shingles up on the roof. She’d watched him carrying those sacks of flour. And the wrestling…

“Well, the timing is lucky, with the weather changing. But you be careful up there. Don’t want my favourite baker to go and break his neck.”

Another emotion surfaced. Concern. The mayor’s house had a steep roof and shingles could be slick on these cold, icy days, snow or no snow.

“Those are pretty.”

His voice startled her. She turned to meet Peeta’s annoyingly distracting blue eyes. They were the first words he’d ever spoken to her. He nodded down at the combs. “I like the orange one best. It would suit you.” 

She couldn’t help blush. When she held his gaze, he swallowed, but this time he didn’t look away like he usually did. It was her turn to first break the contact.

“It’s not for me. It’s for my sister,” she managed to get out. It frustrated her that he rattled her this way.

“Oh, in that case, go with the pastel one. I mean, you know Prim better than me. It’s just I’ve seen her wearing those colours before.”

He knew Prim’s favourite colours? Somehow that came as as surprise. But then, everyone loved Prim. 

Mrs. Barton saw an opportunity. “I could sell them both to you with a 20% discount,” she said to Katniss. 

Katniss almost checked her purse on some irrational hope, though she knew there was nowhere near enough left over. Just as well. They needed other things more than another useless bauble. She lifted her face, and with as much pride as she could muster, she shook her head.  
“No, the one is fine for now.”

She pointed to the pastel comb for her sister and pushed the coins towards Mrs. Barton. Once her purchase was wrapped up, Katniss quickly exited the store, and to her amusement, the store keeper called after her, “Come back again.”

That night, she had safely stowed away Prim’s gift where it would remain hidden. As she lay in bed, she couldn’t get the encounter with Peeta out of her mind. She saw the paint brushes in their pristine box. She could imagine how they felt to the touch, how they would glide over paper, bringing the colours of the paint to life. She imagined Peeta’s hands as he worked. Tried to fathom what beautiful things inspired him as he studied his subject with intimate inspection. She wondered what it would be like to be looked at like that. She shook her head and rolled over in bed and tried to sleep.

Katniss put her arm around Prim and smiled at the thought of the comb. Only a few more days to Christmas. But then she thought of Peeta and his brushes, but no paint to use with them. It made her sad at the incompleteness of it. She thought of the bread on that hollow day, and how she’d never found a proper way to thank him. How do you pay someone back for saving your life?

She pondered the paints. But how could she ever pay for such an extravagant gift? They cost far more than whatever squirrels, rabbits or wild turkeys she could get in such a short time. Plus they needed that meat for food and other trade. Then she remembered the sign on the counter in the store.

******

The next day, Katniss went in and made her exchange. Mrs. Barton was speechless when Katniss handed her the money and asked for the box of paints to be gift-wrapped for her. While Mrs. Barton finished tying the ribbon around the box, Katniss wrote out a gift card to attach to it. She pulled her woollen hat down over her head. Fortunately, it was growing dark when she left the store, so she was able to place the box on the back step of the bakery without detection.

Wouldn’t Peeta be surprised! It filled her with satisfaction to finally even the score. The money for her hair was more than she had ever held at one time, but her purchase used it all except for a few coins. But then she thought of that bread and the bruises on Peeta’s face the next day. It hardly seemed enough.

“Where have you been?” Prim asked when Katniss stepped through the door. “It was getting so late. Mother and I were worried you’d miss dinner.”  
Katniss ran her hand over Prim’s golden locks and smiled. “I just had an errand to run.”

Prim held out her hands to hang up Katniss’s jacket for her. She unwound the scarf around her neck and hung it on the hook with her jacket. Katniss hesitated, and then reached up to remove her knit hat. 

Prim and Mother gasped.

******

This Christmas morning, unlike most years, Prim wasn’t the first to wake. Katniss had tossed all night in anticipation. Eager to see her sister’s expression when she unwrapped her gift, she nudged Prim awake, and soon all three Everdeens were in the living room. The tears on Prim’s face when she opened her gift, erased all doubt about spending the money.

“Oh Katniss, you didn’t sell your hair for this, did you?”

“No, Little duck. I had another gift I needed to buy.”

Before Prim could ask about it, Mother came in from the kitchen with a box. She handed it to Katniss. “Someone left a gift at the back door, but it doesn’t say who it’s from, it just says it’s for you.”

Katniss furrowed her brow. Who would send a gift to her? Gale? No. He would sign the tag. Besides, they had already exchanged presents. Madge, too.

Prim leaned over to get a better look, and she touched the beautifully-wrapped box. “Oh Katniss, you have a secret admirer.” 

Katniss was nervous to open it. She wasn’t certain if it was the unknown contents or the mysterious giver that gave her anxiety.

“Open it!” Prim was grinning with excitement.

Katniss carefully unwrapped the paper and string. She set aside the sprig of holly that had been tied with the string along with the tag. There wasn’t much holly in town. She knew she’d seen it before, and tried to remember where, as it might give a clue about who it had come from. She took a deep breath and removed the top of the box. Three pairs of eyes peered inside.

“Oh Katniss!” Mother cried, her hand on her mouth.

“We have matching ones,” Prim whispered. 

Katniss lifted out the silver comb with the tiger lily flower.

“Do you know who would give this to you?” Mother asked.

Katniss frowned. Yes, she had a pretty good idea.

“But your hair,” Prim cried. “How can you wear it now?” Her eyes grew glassy with tears.

“I have no intention of wearing it anyway,” she snorted, and placed the delicate thing back in the box. The nerve of him! How on earth was she ever going to pay him back now!

“Katniss,” Prim said with dismay, “You have to accept it. It’s a gift.”

“Prim, you don’t understand. It’s too expensive. I couldn’t possibly accept this…” she paused, “I’d just owe the person.”

Prim looked at her with a frown and Katniss could see the gears turning in her sister’s head.  
“But you gave me one and you don’t think I owe you. Do you?”

“Of course not, Little Duck. I love you. I just wanted to see you happy. Because it makes me happy.”

“Don’t you see?” Prim looked so earnest. “If you don’t accept this gift, you’ll take that away from whoever gave it to you. It would be cruel.”

Hmmm. Katniss hadn’t thought of it that way. But it was true, she guessed. Seeing the way Prim’s eyes had lit up when she saw that comb. It had been just as important for her as it was for Prim. Maybe it would be taking something more from Peeta to return the gift. But it was still too much. Damn it! She couldn’t win when it came to him! She let out a sigh.

“Please Katniss, you have to keep it!” Prim insisted.  
Katniss looked at her mother.

“It is very pretty,” Mother said. “Whoever bought it for you made such a lovely choice for your colouring. It would be a shame to hurt their feelings. Besides, we don’t even know who it came from.” 

Katniss had no intention of sharing the giver’s identity. She contemplated the comb staring up her, demanding her attention. She released a determined breath and replaced the lid.  
“I’m going for a walk,” she announced and with the box under her arm, she headed for the door.

******

When she reached the town square, she made her way towards the back of the bakery. Just as she was rounding the corner of the butcher’s store, she could hear the distinctive sound of Mrs. Mellark’s shrill voice emanating from the back door of the bakery which stood ajar.

“What a ridiculous waste of good money! And don’t tell me it’s a gift, I’ve seen you pining over that art stuff for ages! After all the hard work you did for the mayor, you better not think of throwing more good money after bad…”

The door closed and she spied Peeta sit down on the outside stoop. In his lap was the gift box she had left by his door the night before. But it wasn’t the gift he was looking at. It was the card in his hand that held his attention. Katniss knew what it said.

“Thank you for the bread. Your friend, Katniss”

She wondered if it had been presumptuous to put the word ‘friend’. But somehow, she had felt compelled to say it. Anybody who saves your life deserves to be called a friend. Right?

And then she saw the smile on his face, and she truly understood what Prim was trying to tell her. The way it made her heart race to see that joy. There was no way she could deny Peeta that feeling in return. After all, she reasoned, it would be one more thing she would still owe him.

She backed up to the front window of the butcher’s shop and looked at her reflection in the glass. She reached into the box and drew out the comb. The corner of her mouth turned down at the sight of her hair, as she contemplated one side then the other. Using her fingers to manipulate the length, she took the comb and placed it into her hair on one side of her head.

Katniss frowned at her reflection. The chopped hair protruding from the comb stuck out in a comical way. Oh well, it couldn’t be helped. She took a deep breath and made her way to the back of the bakery.

“Hey,” she announced herself and Peeta jumped to his feet in surprise. For a second Katniss thought he didn’t recognize her with her shorn hair. He looked perplexed, but then that warm smile returned as she reached up to touch the comb. She turned her head to the side so it was visible.

“I wanted to thank you. Again,” she said and came to stand beside him at the foot of the back stairs.  
“It’s me who needs to thank you,” he answered holding up the box of paints. He reached out a hand as if to touch her hair, but seemed unsure. “You cut your hair.”

Katniss rolled her eyes. “How else do you think I paid for the paints? Besides, what’s the use of brushes if you don’t have anything to paint with them?” she smirked. She was struck at how easy a rapport there was between them, even after three years of awkward silence. She looked back down at his hands. “Where are they anyway? The brushes?”

He chuckled, and shrugged his shoulders. “After you left, I changed my mind. That comb,” he pointed at it, “it was so perfect for you, just like the other one was for Prim. I just really wanted you to have it.” He flushed a little and looked at his feet. “So I used the money for the brushes to buy the comb instead.”

“What?!” Katniss exclaimed. “You gave up those brushes for my comb? Now what are you going to use to paint with?” She pointed down at the box in his hand, her face scrunched up in exasperation.

And to her amazement, Peeta started to laugh. “Yeah, almost as priceless as you selling your hair just when I decide to give you something to wear in it.”

He had a twinkle in his eye, and actually seemed rather delighted with the situation.  
“You have a very strange sense of humour,” she stated, trying hard not to smile. It was kind of funny, truth be told. What was it called? Of yeah, ironic.

“Well, at least you can grow your hair out,” he said with a grin.  
“Yeah, “ Katniss nodded, “Probably by summer it’ll be long enough to look alright. All my hair wants to do now with this comb is stand up in a dumb tuft at the back.”

Peeta leaned around to have a better look. “I think it looks nice. Like a wing or a crested bird or something.”  
When she met his eyes this time, something in the expression made her heart skip a beat.

But then he grew pensive, and Katniss realized that while her problem would fix itself eventually, Peeta’s would need more work. She bit her bottom lip for a moment considering those brushes again. 

“You know, I’m pretty familiar with all kinds of animal fur. I mean if you couldn’t afford to buy all those brushes from the Capitol. I’m sure I could find the bristles that might be similar and maybe we could come up with a way to make some brushes on our own. I know how to fletch my arrows after all. I mean, if that would be okay. I’m not an artist or anything, but I could try to figure out…”

“Katniss,” Peeta interrupted her. He reached out to take her hand. It was warm and it sent a delightful shiver up her spine. “I’d really like that. Thank you for making this the best Christmas I’ve ever had.”

His words made her heart ache a little bit. It seemed so incredible that it could be true, but he was so sincere. She felt her face flush with joy. And it had nothing to do with settling old debts.

Prim was right. 

“Merry Christmas, Peeta.”


End file.
